The Rioters: Fight The Impossible

Chapter 2 A Hallucination

*Colten's POV*

Evening was setting in, filling my dull room with bright yellows and reds. A cool breeze slides off of my burning body. My eyes became weak and I wanted so badly to close them, but I couldn't. I was afraid. It couldn't be a dream could it? Or was I in a coma? My heart rate increased. I tilted my head as much as I could to face the direction of the natural light. The opaque curtains curled up and drifted across the tiled floor. I just don't understand. It was so beautiful out there. There was no fire, destruction, or smoke. It looks normal. Cars circled around the newly paved roads, people walked around on the floors beneath holding conversations or minding their own business, and you could see clean buildings and landscaped parks. Is it what it seems?

Did Erika even exist? Or Samuel or Karen? Were they a figure of my imagination? I just didn't know. I'm tired. Maybe I will sleep this all away. My eyelids closed, my breathing slowed, the echoing voices from the hall and the beeping beside me silenced, leaving me calm and alone.

The darkness was so thick I could hold it. A flame flickered in the distance. I could not tell how far or how close I was. I looked down, still black, looked up, and again darkness. Putting one foot forward, I took a careful step.Then another and another. I picked up the pace, still unsure of the ground that held me. The flame grew closer to the point where I could feel the heat. I began to run, this time seeing the flame grow to an extraordinary size. The heat started to engulf me. The candle flame turned into something I didn't expect- for it wasn't a candle, it was a building. It stood strong with it's steel beams and blackened wood. Every floor was consumed with flames. This definitely wasn't a candle. I felt like I was melting. My eyes were locked and my feet were glued to the floor as I stood there, staring. I remembered this, like a distant memory. I was searching through my thoughts trying to pull all of the images of the disaster to lay out in front of me and then something caught my attention- I wasn't alone.

In the building I saw what looked like five people of varying ages. They were running, tripping and stumbling through the building. Then there was more. Darkened figures began to surround the building, holding guns and knives. Then more came from behind where I was standing, not paying attention to my presence and I felt one pass through my body. A hallucination. I looked back at the building quickly whipping my head to face the five in distress. Bullets were fired.

Two of the five were hit. One was an older woman, another was an older male. The flames used their bodies like wood. The other three kept running. A man picked up the smallest of the three in his arms.

I felt myself start to burn and I looked at my body. Wounds appeared and my skin became dark. I looked up. And I saw another figure. One of my physique. The figure was leading them all to safety.

They tried to exit the building but gunshots fired. Crack. The character in front was hit. And I felt it. My hand slapped the location of the bullet and I peered into my shirt. A scar. Crack. A bullet sounded again. And like the last time I slapped the location. Again there I saw a scar, and yet he still ran. The three followed behind, almost missing every bullet. Only one other was hit. It looked like it was around the arm. They kept running until-

The flame was blown out. I was surrounded by the darkness.

"Nothing is as it seems" It whispered. I turned around.

"Nothing is as it seems" Again I turned around.

"Look around you" I turned around again multiple times. I heard a giggle.

"Colten!"

"Wha-" I became out of breath.

"Colten" I turned around still facing nothing.